DEALERS RESPOND: 4 generations, 100 years, but what's next?

Family Ties

The 100-year-old Wentworth family business began with partners George Wentworth and Charles Irwin making horse-drawn carriages by hand in Portland, Ore., in 1903.

But Wentworth and Irwin rolled with the changes time brought: In 1923, they became Nash distributors, dispensing the automobiles throughout Oregon and Washington. They sold the cars, and parts, too. Later, they sold GMC heavy-duty trucks, and when the carriage business waned, they produced log and dump trucks.

They remained auto dealers after factories rescinded distributorships; they sold their stake in GMC but continued selling cars as Nash became Rambler and Rambler became American Motors. In the 1950s, when Irwin died, the Wentworth family carried on, with George's son, Charles, and later his son, Charles Jr., running the family business.

In 1978, when a struggling AMC bought back its franchise, then-president Charles Jr. bought a Chevrolet dealership in Portland. His sons, Greg, Scott and Bob Wentworth - the fourth generation - had joined the business in the 1970s, and in 1982, Charles Jr. bought a Buick dealership in Eugene, Ore., two hours south of Portland. Things were humming.

Power split

Then at age 68, and without a firm succession plan in place, Charles Jr. was diagnosed with terminal lung disease. Six months later, in 1992, he died, and his three sons were faced with sharing control of a business that for decades had been run by a sole proprietor, the family patriarch.

"We were the first generation that really branched out into something different," says eldest sibling Greg Wentworth. "It was always just (sort of) a one-point/one-person operation."

While their father was ill, the brothers turned to the Austin Family Business Program at Oregon State University to help them.

"It was quite a heartwrenching thing," Wentworth says. "But we mapped out a program with my mother and my (two) sisters and my brothers as to how the stock would be divided and the direction of the business. There was a lot of gnashing of teeth, but we actually get along pretty well now because of it."

The business survived, and with the addition of Wilsonville Chevrolet in 1998, each brother is the president of his own store, although they all remain under one corporate umbrella.

There remain inherent challenges for a family-run business, Wentworth says: making sure relatives get along, and earning the respect of other employees. Outside counsel - managers, accountants and attorneys - can help smooth over family gripes and point out silly squabbles.

To earn the respect of outsiders, the Wentworths have found that they must not only work hard, but they must offer opportunities, too.

"When we had only one store, the hardest thing was attracting good people," Wentworth says.

"They thought there was no chance for promotion. We'd say: 'Come to work for me; I have a lot of opportunity,' and they'd think: 'That's a lie. You've got (your) dad and three brothers. Where am I going to go?' "

Adding franchises and committing to multi-level management has helped overcome that, he says.

Bringing in kids?

As the Wentworths now look toward the future of their children (there are eight kids among them) and their business, they have set some ground rules. To join management, their children must earn a college degree. After college, they must work elsewhere for at least five years.

"I want you to go out into the real world, and I want you to get a job, and I want you to get promoted," Wentworth says. "If the only thing you want to experience is the car business, I'll get you a job anywhere you want: Seattle; Washington, D.C.; California. But I don't want you working for me. What are you going to bring to the table if you come to work for me right out of college?"

Staying power: Strong sense of reputation and principles, ability to overcome family differences and plan for future generations

Greg Wentworth quote: "When we had only one store, the hardest thing was attracting good people. We'd say: 'Come to work for me; I have a lot of opportunity,' and they'd think: 'That's a lie. You've got (your) dad and three brothers - where am I going to go?' "

A more complex future

The trio has also begun contemplating a future with an increasingly complex family tree.

"We (already) have three partners. What do you do with the next generation?" Wentworth says. "And at what point, can't you come into the business? You have to establish that.

"At age 48, if you lose your job, can you say: 'Well I'll just go work for Dad.' I'll give you a job, but should you be able to buy the same amount of stock as your brother who came into the business at age 30 and has been working at it for 10 years?"

They also must think about a time when the family business isn't run by the family anymore.

"Who is to say? If all the kids and nieces and nephews decide that the car business isn't for them, that is fine, too," he says. "I think that is old-age thinking: 'Oh, I hope all my kids stay in town and all work for me.' "

For now, the Wentworth auto group has rolled with change and become a leader in its class. Last fall, the company earned an Oregon Family Business Award for medium-sized family business of the year. In April, the company will celebrate its 100th anniversary.